A new and eminently worthy entry into the annals of Fantastic Supernatural Comedies, Extra Ordinary follows Rose (comedian Maeve Higgins), a sweet, awkward driving instructor in rural Ireland with a not-so-secret talent (the ability to exorcise ghosts from the everyday objects—and animals—they inhabit). Of course, the townsfolk are always bugging her about their nuisance hauntings, even though she quit the biz for good many years ago after accidently getting her dad killed mid-exorcism. She prefers to live her boring, staid life with occasional spicy appearances by her pregnant, single-and-ready-to-mingle sister.
Everything about this movie is done subtly right. The vague retro atmosphere, the quasi-horror soundtrack, the mildly distorted PSA-like videotape breaks—it could be the late 1970s or early ’80s à la Stranger Things, though the era is never actually specified. The unexpected plot, the hilariously gross comedy—Extra Ordinary doesn’t feel like it’s trying too hard to get laughs, but manages to draw them out with regularity—and, most importantly, the excellent casting.
